Hassan-Backed Bill to Support First Responders Heads to President’s Desk

WASHINGTON -- Today the United States Senate passed the Hawley-Hartzler National Urban Search and Rescue Parity Act to support first responders. The bill is a response to a misguided policy that currently bars federal employees from assisting with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) efforts.

Hassan and Shaheen Reintroduces Bill to Protect Small Businesses From Burdensome Internet Sales Tax Collection Requirement

(Washington, DC)— U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, reintroduced the Online Sales Simplicity and Small Business Relief Act with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), the lead Democrat of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR). The bill would stop states with a sales tax from creating red tape for small businesses as a result of the Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. This ruling overturned a previous precedent, and has allowed states to collect sales tax from out-of-state businesses. This new burden hurts small businesses, especially in states like New Hampshire and Oregon which don’t have a sales tax, forcing owners to navigate collecting sales taxes for more than 10,000 taxing jurisdictions across the country.

Senator Hassan Blasts Big Pharma on Senate Floor for Putting Profits Before People

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan today took to the Senate floor to blast pharmaceutical companies for putting profits before people. A recent report from the Drug Enforcement Administration found that nearly 290 million prescription pain pills were sent to New Hampshire from 2006-2012.

Shaheen, Hassan Join Colleagues in Renewed Call for FCC to Protect Community Television Channels

(Washington, DC) – Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and 12 of their colleagues in urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect public, educational and governmental (PEG) stations as it proposes changes to the rules governing agreements between Local Franchising Authorities and cable operators. Currently, towns and cities across the country are permitted to require as part of cable franchise agreements that cable operators meet demonstrated community needs by providing in-kind contributions that benefit schools, public safety buildings and PEG channels. However, the Commission’s current proposal would permit cable companies to assign a value to these contributions, and then subtract that amount from the franchise fees the cable operator pays the local community. The FCC will vote on this change at its meeting on Thursday, August 1. If implemented, the Order would force local governments to decide between supporting PEG stations in cable franchise agreements and supporting other important services for critical community institutions like schools and libraries. 

Hassan Joins Senate Democrats In Introducing Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Hassan joined U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing the Democracy for All Amendment, a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United v. FEC and other disastrous court decisions, help get big money out of politics, and put power back in the hands of the American people.

Senator Hassan Discusses Local Impact of US-Mexico-Canada Agreement at Senate Finance Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON – At a Senate Finance Committee hearing today on the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Senator Maggie Hassan discussed the impact the deal could have on New Hampshire farmers and small businesses.

Senator Hassan Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Local, State, and National Cyber Defenses

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced the bipartisan Advancing Cybersecurity Continuing Diagnostics and Mitigation Act, which would update and improve federal agencies’ cybersecurity, and make additional cyber defense resources available to state and local governments.

Senate Passes Bipartisan Hassan-Lankford Bill to Improve Federal Government’s Customer Service

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate passed the Federal Agency Customer Experience (FACE) Act of 2019, a bipartisan bill, introduced by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and James Lankford (R-OK), to better assess and improve the customer service experience for Americans dealing with federal agencies.

Senator Hassan Recognizes Caroline Dillon of Rochester as July 2019 Granite Stater of the Month

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan today recognized Caroline Dillon of Rochester for her work ensuring that every public high school and middle school in New Hampshire provides free feminine hygiene products to students who cannot afford them.

NH Delegation Announces More than $3 Million for NH Projects through NBRC

(Washington, DC)— U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced today with Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) that New Hampshire agencies and organizations have been awarded $3,768,293 from the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) for various projects that invest in the Granite State’s economic and community development. This is an increase of nearly a million dollars for New Hampshire compared to last year’s awards.

Senators Hassan, Paul Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Cut Government Waste and Save Taxpayer Dollars

WASHINGTON – Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced legislation that would require government agencies to implement changes recommended by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to save taxpayer dollars and improve government efficiency.

Senators Hassan, Collins Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Innovative Clean Energy Storage Technology

WASHINGTON – Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the bipartisan Battery Storage Innovation Act to expand access to innovative clean energy storage technology.   

House Passes Bipartisan Legislation Introduced by Senators Hassan, Gardner to Help Save Newborn Babies’ Lives, Moves One Step Closer to Becoming Law

WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation that Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced in the U.S. Senate to help save lives and improve the health of newborn babies. The bipartisan Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act will provide federal funding for comprehensive and standardized newborn screening tests for conditions such as critical congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, and hearing loss. The tests can identify treatable conditions that, if caught early, can prevent serious illness, lifetime disabilities, and even death.

Senator Hassan Helps Advance Major Bipartisan Bill to Lower Prescription Drug Prices

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan today helped advance major bipartisan legislation through the Senate Finance Committee on one of her top priorities: lowering the cost of prescription drugs. The Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act would enact a cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries and crack down on pharmaceutical companies that raise drug prices higher than inflation. The bill would save Medicare beneficiaries more than $30 billion in premiums and out-of-pocket costs, and would save taxpayers $100 billion in Medicare and Medicaid spending.

Senators Lankford, Hassan Discuss Bipartisan Bill to End Government Shutdowns with “Fix the Debt” Members

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) discussed their bipartisan legislation to end government shutdowns on a conference call with members of Fix the Debt, an organization that brings together Americans on both sides of the aisle to promote fiscal responsibility.

Senator Hassan Blasts Rule Allowing Dark Money to Finance Opioid Misinformation Campaigns in Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan, during a Senate Finance Committee hearing yesterday, blasted a ruling by the Treasury Department and the IRS that allows “dark money” groups to hide the identities of their major donors from law enforcement. That Treasury/IRS ruling could make it more difficult for law enforcement to hold opioid manufacturers accountable for funding the spread of fraudulent misinformation on opioid addiction. The ruling was made without any public notice or comment period.

Bipartisan Hassan-Backed Bills to Strengthen Government Accountability, Save Taxpayer Dollars Pass Committee

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), on which Senator Maggie Hassan serves, approved several bipartisan bills that Senator Hassan co-sponsored to save taxpayer dollars and improve government accountability and transparency.

NH Delegation Announces New Federal Grant Funding to Support Franklin First Responders on Front Lines of Opioid Epidemic

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representative Annie Kuster (NH-02) announced that the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development agency has awarded $48,600 in federal funding to the city of Franklin. The funding will be used to purchase a new ambulance, allowing the city to more adequately respond to medical emergencies, including substance misuse, in what is a hard-hit area in the opioid epidemic. The fire department has two ambulances, with one currently out of service, significantly reducing the city’s emergency response capability.

Senator Hassan Statement on Passing of Dr. Ed Kois

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan released the following statement on the passing of Dr. William “Ed” Kois, who led the Manchester VA Medical Center’s Spinal Cord Clinic and served as one of the lead whistleblowers regarding conditions at the Manchester VAMC in 2017:

Senator Hassan Meets with Acting FDA Commissioner, Presses for Answers on FDA’s Actions Regarding the Opioid Crisis

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan yesterday met with Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Ned Sharpless calling for a fuller accounting of the FDA’s decision-making processes for the approval and labeling of opioid drugs. The meeting follows a March 2019 letter from Senators Hassan and Ed Markey (D-MA) to former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb outlining a number of specific questions about the FDA’s actions regarding the opioid crisis.